GUITAR MAN
(Jerry Reed Hubbard)

Jerry Reed - 1966
Elvis Presley - 1967
Bob Luman - 1968





As recorded by ELVIS PRESLEY:


Well, I quit my job down at the car wash
I left my mama a goodbye note
By sundown I'd left Kingston,
With my guitar under my coat
I hitchhiked all the way down to Memphis
Got a room at the YMCA
For the next three weeks I went a-huntin' them nights
Lookin' for a place to play
Well, I thought my pickin' would set 'em on fire
But nobody wanted to hire a guitar man

Well, I nearly 'bout starved to death down in Memphis
I run outta money and luck
So I bought me a ride down to Macon, Georgia
On a overloaded poultry truck
I thumbed on down to Panama City
Started pickin' out some o' them all night bars
Hopin' I could make myself a dollar
Makin' music on my guitar
I got the same old story at them all night piers
There ain't no room around here for a guitar man
We don't need a guitar man, son

So I slept in the hobo jungles
Roamed a thousand miles of track
Till I found myself in Mobile Alabama
At a club they call Big Jack's
A little four-piece band was jammin'
So I took my guitar and I sat in
I showed 'em what a band would sound like
With a swingin' little guitar man
Show 'em, son

(Instrumental Break)

If you ever take a trip down to the ocean
Find yourself down around Mobile
Just make it on out to a club called Jack's
If you got a little time to kill
Just follow that crowd of people
You'll wind up out on his dance floor
Diggin' the finest little five-piece group
Up and down the Gulf of Mexico
And guess who's leadin' that five-piece band
A-wouldn't ya know, it's that swingin' little guitar man, yay, yay

Uh-huh, uh-huh
Uh-huh, uh-huh
Alright now, uh-huh
Tell me what'd I say
Tell me what'd I say right now
Hey, tell me what'd I say right now
Tell me what'd I say
Swingin' little guitar man


++++++++++


As recorded by BOB LUMAN:


Well, I quit my job down at the carwash, left my Mama a goodbye note
By sundown I'd left Kingston with my guitar up under my coat
Hitchhiked down to Memphis, I got a room at the YMCA
For the next three weeks I went a huntin' them night clubs lookin' for a place
to play
Well I thought my pickin' would set 'em on fire
But nobody wanted to hire a little guitar man
No they didn't, hey-hey-hey, kippi-ki-yo, yodel-aye-hoo, hey-hey, sock it to us,
son

(Instrumental Break)

Well, now I nearly 'bout starved to death down in Memphis, I run out of money
and luck
And I bummed my way down to Macon Georgia on a overloaded poultry truck
Hitchhiked down to Panama City, started checkin' out them all night bars
Hopin' I could make myself a dollar makin' music on my guitar
Well I thought my pickin' would set 'em on fire
But nobody wanted to hire a lttle guitar man
No they didn't, hey-hey-hey, kippi-ki-yo, yodel-aye-hoo, hey-hey, hook it, son

(Instrumental Break)

You take a trip down to the ocean, find yourself a-down round Mobile
Just make it on out to a club called Jack's if you got a little time to kill
You'll find that crowd of people out on his dance floor
They're dancin' to the finest little five piece band up and down the Gulf of
Mexico
Wouldn't you know who was leadin' that band
Wouldn't you know it's that swingin' little, swingin' little guitar man
Yes it is, hey-hey-hey, kippi-ki-yo, yodel-aye-hoo, hey-hey, take it on out

Guitar man, guitar man, guitar man, guitar man,
Guitar man, guitar man, guitar man.........FADE



(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - June 2011)